The 2012 Huntsville Sprint Triathlon was held on Saturday, August 18. I got up at 4:30 in the morning to get ready and arrive at the Natatorium (a fancy word for swimming pool) by 5:45 when the transition area opened. The parking was about a half-mile from the Natatorium, and I got a little warm up walking with my bike in one hand, a bucket of towels and water bottles in the other, and a gym bag over my shoulder. Yes, I brought way too much stuff.
I wore some shorts and a t-shirt over my tri suit. Once I got to the transition area, I racked my bike, laid out my towel, unpacked my shoes, helmet, and other transition essentials, and then headed over to the marking area. My race number was 367 and it was then blazoned on my upper arms and the side of my left calf. The back of my right calf proudly displayed my age, which was a year older than reality since USAT says your age is how old you will be on Dec 31.
After getting marked, I went back to my transition spot and realized that I had no room for my gym bag, which now held my shorts, shirt, and top-siders. The bag went under my shoes like a very lopsided table. Luckily, everything stayed put during the transitions.
The start was a staggered start. Every 5 sec (really about 7-8) a person jumped into the pool and started their race. It started with #1 (the eventual winner) and progressed according to number, which was assigned by expected swim time. I jumped in the pool about 10 minutes to 8:00.
The Swim
The swim went very well. I quickly passed many people as I swam 4 laps (8 lengths) of the 50 meter pool. Just before I started, as I was donning my swim cap, a fellow racer asked me if the cap really helped. I didn't see him afterwards, but I would have told him, "YES!" Most of my training swims were done wearing my baggy swim trunks and goggles; no tri suit, no cap. Once in the water with the form-fitting tri suit and the swim cap, I felt like I was just slicing through the water. Even with a slight jam at a turn and waiting for 3 people to climb the steps at the end, I finished the swim in just 8:59!
T1
The first transition went smoothly, but slowly. It took 2:29 to dry my feet put on socks and cycling shoes, strap on my helmet and run out of the area.
The Bike
The bike did not go as well as the swim. First, my computer's battery chose to die on me just as I mounted the bike. I had no idea how fast I was going. The course was fairly flat with a few bumps, mostly bridges. I passed a few more people, but was also passed a couple of times. My legs still felt good at the end though, and I felt ready for the run. But, I finished the bike course in 26:40, well over my target of 20 minutes.
T2
I dismounted the bike at the right spot and promptly started running in through the out door. I realized right away what I had done, and the marshal was very nice about letting me know, too. I backed up as best as I could and went on my way to my transition space. It probably cost me 10-15 seconds, though. T2 time was 2:04, so my total transition was well under my 5 minute goal.
The Run
It started out well enough. I was running at about a 9:30 pace, which was way too fast, so I slowed to an 11:00 minute pace. After the first mile, it felt like my legs were getting better, so I upped my intensity. But my pace kept increasing! Before I knew it, I was averaging over 11:30/mile and my quads were killing me. The bike ride was finally taking its toll on my legs! My run ended with a disastrous time of 35:20.
The Final Score
But, in the end, I finished the complete triathlon in 1:15:36. This is well under my goal of 1:30 and almost at my target time of 1:15. I know that I have to work on my cycling legs to increase my speed in that part of the race and prevent the fatigue that slowed my run. I also now know my swimming pace so that next time I can start earlier, with faster swimmers and less passing/traffic jams. I am thoroughly hooked on triathlons and can't wait until the next one (but first, the marathon). But best of all,
I am now a triathlete!
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Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
The Best You Can Do Is Tri
Less than a week until I become a triathlete! It's a sprint triathlon—400 m swim, 7 mile bike, 5K run—but a tri's a tri.
Over the past couple of months, I've not only been bringing up my running mileage, but I've added swimming and cycling workouts.
The Swim
Swimming has been the most work for me. I used to play water polo in High School, but that was a long time ago. I haven't really swum laps seriously since my water polo days. Starting out, I was very proud of myself being able to swim 5 laps of my 36-foot pool before taking a break. But 5 laps at 24 yards per lap is only about a fourth of the distance that I'll need to go. Slowly I have worked my way up to 20 laps (480 yards) without a break. I have done 2 swim sessions per week (for most weeks)—a short session on Tuesday and a long one on Sunday. I'm targeting a 12 minute swim. Not Olympic pace, but it's a good target for me.
The Bike
Cycling is something I've done a bit. I used to be part of a company cycling team back about 12 years ago, and did some cycling when I first came to the Rocket City. I'm used to 30+ mile rides. I'm not fast, but 7 miles is not a long distance for me, so I'm not worried about this part of the triathlon. My old Trek 730 only has 42 teeth on on the big wheel in the front, so my speed won't be as fast as if I had 50 or 53, but I should be able to finish 7 miles in about 25 minutes.
The Run
Running is something I've done a lot of recently. But not after cycling. I have done a few brick workouts. Bricks are cycling/running workouts that are supposedly called bricks because your legs feel like bricks when you try to run after cycling. These workouts consist of 4 miles of hard bike riding followed by a 2-mile run. I've also been running my marathon prep mileage, which has included a couple of 10-milers, so I'm not to worried about finishing a 5K. But after the swim and the bike, I'm not sure that my usual pace will hold up. I'm targeting 33 minutes for the run.
The Transitions
Transitions are unique to triathlons. To make my transitions go quicker, I purchased a tri suit. This two-piece suit can be worn during all three legs of the race. Everything dries out quickly and the shorts have some padding for the bike ride. T1 is the swim to bike transition. I will dry my legs and feet, pull on some socks and my bike shoes. Don my helmet and sunglasses, and hit the road. T2 is the bike to run transition; change shoes (done quickly thanks to my new elastic laces), remove the helmet and it the road again. I figure it'll take about 5 minutes for both transitions.
Total target time: 75 minutes
My goal is 90 minutes; we'll see if I finish closer to my goal or my target.
Over the past couple of months, I've not only been bringing up my running mileage, but I've added swimming and cycling workouts.
The Swim
Swimming has been the most work for me. I used to play water polo in High School, but that was a long time ago. I haven't really swum laps seriously since my water polo days. Starting out, I was very proud of myself being able to swim 5 laps of my 36-foot pool before taking a break. But 5 laps at 24 yards per lap is only about a fourth of the distance that I'll need to go. Slowly I have worked my way up to 20 laps (480 yards) without a break. I have done 2 swim sessions per week (for most weeks)—a short session on Tuesday and a long one on Sunday. I'm targeting a 12 minute swim. Not Olympic pace, but it's a good target for me.
The Bike
Cycling is something I've done a bit. I used to be part of a company cycling team back about 12 years ago, and did some cycling when I first came to the Rocket City. I'm used to 30+ mile rides. I'm not fast, but 7 miles is not a long distance for me, so I'm not worried about this part of the triathlon. My old Trek 730 only has 42 teeth on on the big wheel in the front, so my speed won't be as fast as if I had 50 or 53, but I should be able to finish 7 miles in about 25 minutes.
The Run
Running is something I've done a lot of recently. But not after cycling. I have done a few brick workouts. Bricks are cycling/running workouts that are supposedly called bricks because your legs feel like bricks when you try to run after cycling. These workouts consist of 4 miles of hard bike riding followed by a 2-mile run. I've also been running my marathon prep mileage, which has included a couple of 10-milers, so I'm not to worried about finishing a 5K. But after the swim and the bike, I'm not sure that my usual pace will hold up. I'm targeting 33 minutes for the run.
The Transitions
Transitions are unique to triathlons. To make my transitions go quicker, I purchased a tri suit. This two-piece suit can be worn during all three legs of the race. Everything dries out quickly and the shorts have some padding for the bike ride. T1 is the swim to bike transition. I will dry my legs and feet, pull on some socks and my bike shoes. Don my helmet and sunglasses, and hit the road. T2 is the bike to run transition; change shoes (done quickly thanks to my new elastic laces), remove the helmet and it the road again. I figure it'll take about 5 minutes for both transitions.
Total target time: 75 minutes
My goal is 90 minutes; we'll see if I finish closer to my goal or my target.
Monday, June 25, 2012
XLaces by Xtenex Review
Asics Gel Kayano 18 Running Shoes: $150
Early Bird Entry Fee to the Rocket City Marathon: $60
XLaces X300 30" Laces: $15
Not having to tie your running shoes ever again
(or worry about them coming untied during a run):
For Fathers' Day, I received what my wife referred to as "the most expensive shoelaces I've every bought." The X300 model of XLaces from xlaces.com for $14.95. I had found these novel laces during one of my internet excursions. I dutifully dropped big hints a few weeks before Fathers' Day, and they arrived just as scheduled.
I immediately changed out my boring black laces with my new red ones (I also received a white pair; more on those later), and adjusted the tension. The laces are full of knots that disappear when thy are stretched. You just feed them through and the knots pop back up to keep the lace in place. You can then separately adjust the lace between each pair of eyelets in your shoe. They felt good, but until the first run, I couldn't be certain.
Monday's 3-mile run was a joy. The laces worked as advertised: the shoes slipped on, and slipped off again after the run. During the run, there was no annoying flapping of the bows and no fear of an untied lace. The right shoe was a little tight in the toes and loose in the heel, but that was easily resolved with a small adjustment.
I've run a total of 21 miles (including an 8-mile LSD) with the new XLaces and I just have to say: "I love my XLaces!" They are worth every penny that my wife paid for them.
I now have slip on running shoes that are perfectly adjusted to my feet (the adjustments are custom for each foot). And, these laces will shave at least 30 seconds off my transition during the triathlon.
The white laces? I let my wife use them in her shoes. She is still working on fine adjustments, but says they work very well for her evening walks.
Early Bird Entry Fee to the Rocket City Marathon: $60
XLaces X300 30" Laces: $15
Not having to tie your running shoes ever again
(or worry about them coming untied during a run):
Priceless!
For Fathers' Day, I received what my wife referred to as "the most expensive shoelaces I've every bought." The X300 model of XLaces from xlaces.com for $14.95. I had found these novel laces during one of my internet excursions. I dutifully dropped big hints a few weeks before Fathers' Day, and they arrived just as scheduled.
I immediately changed out my boring black laces with my new red ones (I also received a white pair; more on those later), and adjusted the tension. The laces are full of knots that disappear when thy are stretched. You just feed them through and the knots pop back up to keep the lace in place. You can then separately adjust the lace between each pair of eyelets in your shoe. They felt good, but until the first run, I couldn't be certain.
Monday's 3-mile run was a joy. The laces worked as advertised: the shoes slipped on, and slipped off again after the run. During the run, there was no annoying flapping of the bows and no fear of an untied lace. The right shoe was a little tight in the toes and loose in the heel, but that was easily resolved with a small adjustment.
I've run a total of 21 miles (including an 8-mile LSD) with the new XLaces and I just have to say: "I love my XLaces!" They are worth every penny that my wife paid for them.
I now have slip on running shoes that are perfectly adjusted to my feet (the adjustments are custom for each foot). And, these laces will shave at least 30 seconds off my transition during the triathlon.
The white laces? I let my wife use them in her shoes. She is still working on fine adjustments, but says they work very well for her evening walks.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Cotton Row 10K
The Cotton Row 10K (and 5K) took place on Memorial Day. This year I was able to run it---barely.
The 10K course takes runners uphill for the first half of the race. The starting line is at 624 ft. The course winds from the Von Braun Center downtown, through residential areas where families gathered in their front yards to cheer us on, to about the 3 mile mark at 738 ft. Although there were several flat areas, there were no downhills on the way to this point. My legs were starting to feel like lead.
After a sharp right turn, there is The Hill—a 100-foot climb in just 200 yards. I am not ashamed to say that I walked this section of the course, as did many, many others. The idea was to conserve energy and make up the time on the downhill half.
At the top, there was just a little bit of a gradual uphill climb, before the turn downhill at 3.2 miles (according to my GPS). After the turn we were met by the official Course Liar, who told us that we were almost finished and it was all downhill from there. He, was, of course, lying.
The second half of the course was mainly downhill, but had several uphill turns. Just enough that I couldn't really get into a faster-paced downhill rhythm. So much for saving energy earlier on. But, I finished—it took me 1 hr 10 min 52 sec (tag time).
This race was a big challenge for me. I don't do uphill well. With my Clydesdale frame, gravity just is not my friend when I run uphill. But, running up every flight of stairs that I could for a few weeks before the run, really helped to get my legs in shape for the ordeal.
Next year, I'll run up The Hill. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
The 10K course takes runners uphill for the first half of the race. The starting line is at 624 ft. The course winds from the Von Braun Center downtown, through residential areas where families gathered in their front yards to cheer us on, to about the 3 mile mark at 738 ft. Although there were several flat areas, there were no downhills on the way to this point. My legs were starting to feel like lead.
After a sharp right turn, there is The Hill—a 100-foot climb in just 200 yards. I am not ashamed to say that I walked this section of the course, as did many, many others. The idea was to conserve energy and make up the time on the downhill half.
At the top, there was just a little bit of a gradual uphill climb, before the turn downhill at 3.2 miles (according to my GPS). After the turn we were met by the official Course Liar, who told us that we were almost finished and it was all downhill from there. He, was, of course, lying.
The second half of the course was mainly downhill, but had several uphill turns. Just enough that I couldn't really get into a faster-paced downhill rhythm. So much for saving energy earlier on. But, I finished—it took me 1 hr 10 min 52 sec (tag time).
This race was a big challenge for me. I don't do uphill well. With my Clydesdale frame, gravity just is not my friend when I run uphill. But, running up every flight of stairs that I could for a few weeks before the run, really helped to get my legs in shape for the ordeal.
Next year, I'll run up The Hill. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
My Son's First 5K
Running Through the Roses: that's what the annual Madison, Alabama race is called,. I didn't really notice any roses, but I'll take their word for it. This was their first year running a 5K in addition to the normal 10K.
My 9 year old son, Xander, and I had trained hard for this, his first 5K. On May 5, the whole family arrived at Bob Jones High School for the start of the race. Xander and I lined up for the 9 am start. There were about 500 people running the 5K and the start was fairly fast. My wife and daughters cheered us on as we ran through the starting gate a began our journey.
The course starts with a long downhill stretch. The big problem there was holding Xander back so he'd have the energy for what was coming. A series of three hills, or tests, as I called them.
The first test was a small hill just after the mile mark. The hill rose 20 ft in about 160 yards. We slowed down a little and took the hill at a steady gait.
The second test started right after the first ended. A long, gradual, uphill climb of 80 ft over the next half mile. The downhill stretch afterwards helped Xander get some practice controlling his speed. He'd need the practice for the final exam.
The final exam was the Eastview Beast—a 100 ft rise in about 300 yards (an eighth of a mile) on Eastview Drive. It was a tough climb in 80° weather, but Xander would not walk, in spite of my emphatic demands that he do so for the last few yards (he wasn't looking very good). He got his second wind and surged to the top. Xander even managed to keep his speed at a reasonable pace as we descended over 100 ft during the next quarter mile. Xander finished in 36:16 to the cheers of his mother and sisters (and a small crowd of fellow Alabamians), 2 seconds ahead of dad. He aced every test. I was a very proud father.
In the end, Xander finished 3rd in the 0–10 yr age class. A great finish for is first 5K. We now proudly sport our I Survived the Eastview Beast stickers. Xander not only survived it, he conquered the Beast!
I look forward to his next 5K; I think he does, too.
My 9 year old son, Xander, and I had trained hard for this, his first 5K. On May 5, the whole family arrived at Bob Jones High School for the start of the race. Xander and I lined up for the 9 am start. There were about 500 people running the 5K and the start was fairly fast. My wife and daughters cheered us on as we ran through the starting gate a began our journey.
The course starts with a long downhill stretch. The big problem there was holding Xander back so he'd have the energy for what was coming. A series of three hills, or tests, as I called them.
The first test was a small hill just after the mile mark. The hill rose 20 ft in about 160 yards. We slowed down a little and took the hill at a steady gait.
The second test started right after the first ended. A long, gradual, uphill climb of 80 ft over the next half mile. The downhill stretch afterwards helped Xander get some practice controlling his speed. He'd need the practice for the final exam.
The final exam was the Eastview Beast—a 100 ft rise in about 300 yards (an eighth of a mile) on Eastview Drive. It was a tough climb in 80° weather, but Xander would not walk, in spite of my emphatic demands that he do so for the last few yards (he wasn't looking very good). He got his second wind and surged to the top. Xander even managed to keep his speed at a reasonable pace as we descended over 100 ft during the next quarter mile. Xander finished in 36:16 to the cheers of his mother and sisters (and a small crowd of fellow Alabamians), 2 seconds ahead of dad. He aced every test. I was a very proud father.
In the end, Xander finished 3rd in the 0–10 yr age class. A great finish for is first 5K. We now proudly sport our I Survived the Eastview Beast stickers. Xander not only survived it, he conquered the Beast!
I look forward to his next 5K; I think he does, too.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Married with Children -- How Do You Train?
It's tough finding the time to do anything, let alone train for a marathon, when you have kids. I have 3: an 11 year old daughter and 9 year old twins (son and daughter). For the longest time (over 10 years) I didn't run because there just didn't seem to be the time. I know; it was an excuse, but it was an easy one to use. I started running again for my kids, so they can work both ways.
I run for a few reasons. First, I want my kids to see that if you work hard and don't give up, you can accomplish seemingly impossible goals. This kept me going on my LSDs during my training last fall. Second, I want to be around for my grand kids and maybe even great grand kids. Then, I don't every want to huff and puff climbing a flight of stairs again—it's embarrassing! I also find that running is a nice way to clear my head and get rid of the stress of the daily grind. These are the things that drive me to get up early or to give up some downtime on the weekend and run.
It helps having a wife that understands my drive and supports my training sessions, even when they get very long. This year they will be extremely long when I get up to my 20-mile LSDs. I'm even working on getting her out to run and I think I might finally be getting to her.
Now my children are starting to get interested in running. I've been out with them all at one time or another. We started run-walking a mile. My son really got into it and we just finished a 2-mile run in prep for a 5K. He's learning to work through being tired and finish the distance. It hasn't been easy all the time, but he's getting better at it all the time. My daughters aren't as interested in running, but they do get excited about fun runs and the run-walk method works well for them.
The key to making the time to train when you have an active family life, is to involve the family in your training. The family the runs together has fun together!
I run for a few reasons. First, I want my kids to see that if you work hard and don't give up, you can accomplish seemingly impossible goals. This kept me going on my LSDs during my training last fall. Second, I want to be around for my grand kids and maybe even great grand kids. Then, I don't every want to huff and puff climbing a flight of stairs again—it's embarrassing! I also find that running is a nice way to clear my head and get rid of the stress of the daily grind. These are the things that drive me to get up early or to give up some downtime on the weekend and run.
It helps having a wife that understands my drive and supports my training sessions, even when they get very long. This year they will be extremely long when I get up to my 20-mile LSDs. I'm even working on getting her out to run and I think I might finally be getting to her.
Now my children are starting to get interested in running. I've been out with them all at one time or another. We started run-walking a mile. My son really got into it and we just finished a 2-mile run in prep for a 5K. He's learning to work through being tired and finish the distance. It hasn't been easy all the time, but he's getting better at it all the time. My daughters aren't as interested in running, but they do get excited about fun runs and the run-walk method works well for them.
The key to making the time to train when you have an active family life, is to involve the family in your training. The family the runs together has fun together!
Vacation's Over!
Sorry for the long hiatus; I've been kind of taking a vacation, I guess. I have kept up running, but my heel has caused me to take it easy for a while. I did run the Inaugural Double Helix Dash at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology a couple of weeks ago. It's a nice 5K with only 400 runners. You run through the double helix path they just built in the middle of the road as a finishing leg. Check it out on Google Maps. (They've finished the road, the path, and a whole new building on the left since the satellite last took a picture.)
After the 5K, I ran the 1-mile fun run with my son and older daughter. I'll tell that story, and about training with my 9 year old son for the 5K coming up on May 5, later.
I've started some strengthening exercises for my heel. I think that my calf is still week from the effects of the blood clot last year. Taking it easy has helped, but I felt winded at the end of the 5K and the 1-mile run after that really wore me out. Time to get back to work!
My exercises entail standing at the edge of a stair step and raising my heels using both legs. Then I lift my good leg and slowly lower the heel of my bad leg until it dips below the step. Then go back up using both legs. I do 3 sets of 15 reps with the leg straight and 3 sets of 15 reps with my knees bent—twice a day. This should strengthen my weakened calf and fix any future heel problems.
In any case, I am back from my "vacation" and getting ready for the Marathon on December 8, 2012. My schedule of races to get me ready and keep my training on track is now set:
Run Through the Roses 5K (with my son) – May 5
Cotton Row 10K – May 28
Huntsville Sprint Triathlon – August 18
Huntsville Half Marathon – November 10
Rocket City Marathon – December 8
After the 5K, I ran the 1-mile fun run with my son and older daughter. I'll tell that story, and about training with my 9 year old son for the 5K coming up on May 5, later.
I've started some strengthening exercises for my heel. I think that my calf is still week from the effects of the blood clot last year. Taking it easy has helped, but I felt winded at the end of the 5K and the 1-mile run after that really wore me out. Time to get back to work!
My exercises entail standing at the edge of a stair step and raising my heels using both legs. Then I lift my good leg and slowly lower the heel of my bad leg until it dips below the step. Then go back up using both legs. I do 3 sets of 15 reps with the leg straight and 3 sets of 15 reps with my knees bent—twice a day. This should strengthen my weakened calf and fix any future heel problems.
In any case, I am back from my "vacation" and getting ready for the Marathon on December 8, 2012. My schedule of races to get me ready and keep my training on track is now set:
Run Through the Roses 5K (with my son) – May 5
Cotton Row 10K – May 28
Huntsville Sprint Triathlon – August 18
Huntsville Half Marathon – November 10
Rocket City Marathon – December 8
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